Web-printing machine.



No. 836,669. PATENTED NOV. 27, 1906. L. G. GROWELL. WEB PRINTINGMACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 13.1892.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. wnsnmu PATENTED NOV. 27, 1906.

L. C. UROWELL.

WEB PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13, 1892.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0. 836,669. P ATENTED NOV. 27, 1906. L. c. GROWBLL.

WEB PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION IILED JUNE 13,1892.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

THE mmms PETERS co., WASHINGTGI'HB. c.

PATENTED NOV. 27, 1906.

L. G. OROWELL. WEB PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13.1892.

4 SHEBTS-SHEBT 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUTHER O. OROWELL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO ROBERT HOE AND CHARLES W. OAR- WEB-PRINTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 27, 1906.

Application filed June 13, 1892. Serial No. 436,590.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUTHER O. CROWELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Web-Printing Machines,fully described and represented in the following specification and theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

The web printing machines heretofore constructed for multicolor-printinghave been machines of special construction, either not capacitated toperfect a web or consisting of color-printing devices added to a webperfecting mechanism, so that the full capacity of the printing-surfaces isnot utilized in the usual work of web-perfecting. In newspaper-printingit is often desirable to print a paper or part of a paper in colors,while it is undesirable to further increase the size and complication ofrapid web-printing machines by additional printing mechanisms for suchcolorprinting, and the cost of such machines of high capacity and theextra floor-space required prevent the general use of separatecolor-printing machines. In all printing offices, moreover, in whichmulticolor-printing is ever desirable the advantages of a constructionenabling such color-printing from printing mechanisms the full capacityof which is available for web-perfecting will readily be recognized.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improvedconstruction of web,- printing machines by which the full capacity ofthe printing devices may be utilized for web-perfecting or multipleimpressions for color-printing be taken therefrom, and I attain thisobject by combining a plurality of web-printing mechanisms in such amanner that they may be used to print and perfect a plurality of Webs ormay coact in color-printing on a single web. While I claim such acombination broadly and my invention includes a construction in which aplurality of web printing and perfecting mechanisms are arranged tocoact in printing multiple impressions on one or both sides of a web, itis desirable that the number of colors which may be applied upon thesame side of the web be made as large as possible, and I prefer tocombine with the plurality of web printing and perfecting mechanismsthus arranged web-controlling devices, by which the web may be presentedto some or all of the mechanisms in position to receive the secondimpression therefrom on the same side as the first, thus doubling thenumber of colors which may be applied on the same side of the web orsecuring the desirable product of a perfected web printed in many colorson one side only.

While all the features of my invention are included only in aconstruction employing a plurality of web printin and perfectingmechanisms combined wit web-controlling devices for the purposedescribed, it will be seen that by my invention I provide also a singleweb printing and perfecting mechanism combined with web-controllingdevices so as to print and perfect a Web or to print two impressionsupon the same side of the web, andI claim also as a part of my inventionsuch a single web-printing mechanism.

It is evident that my invention may be appliedin connection with webprintin and perfecting mechanisms of any suitable form, that theweb-controlling devices for guiding the web for the color-printing maybe of any suitable construction, and that many different arrangements ofthe two may be made in accordance with the result required.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a or part of this specification, Ihave shown the purpose of illustration constructions embodying myinvention as applied to two common forms of highspeed web-printingmechanisms, and from a description of these constructions theapplication of my invention in other constructions may readily bedevised by those skilled in the art.

In the drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal sectional diagram takeninside the frame of a construction embodying my'invention in thepreferred form as applied in connection with web printing and perfectingmechanisms having two couples or pairs of type and impression cylindersand showing the course of the web in perfecting. Fig. 2 is a similarview showing the course of the Web in printing fourcolors on one side.Fig. 3 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 2 with one of the inkingmechanisms removed to show the webreverser. Fig. 4 is a view similar toFigs. 1 and 2, showing my invention as applied in the preferred form inconnection with webcylinders provided with inking mechanisms.

E E of any suitable form. These web printing and perfecting mechanismsmay be provided with separate deliveries, if desired, or

. may constitute each a separate machine, the

web being led from one to the other in colorprinting; but they are shownas forming a single two-web machine and having acommon delivery F, whichmay be of any suitable form, that shown having the common longitudinalfolder on which the two webs are associated. It Will be seen that thesetwo web printing and perfecting mechanisms are so arranged that the webperfected by the first mechanism may be led directly to the secondmechanism and receive another impression on one or both sides, these twomechanisms thus coacting to print a single web in two colors, and it isevident that'other webprinting mechanisms may be added arranged in asimilar manner to perfect independent webs or to coact in color-printingon a single web, so that any desired number of colors may be obtained.It will be seen also that the couples A B and A B form a plurality orset of =printing-couples arranged in the sameh'orizontal planes, and thecouples C D and C" D form a plurality or set of printing-couplesarranged in the same horizontal planes above the set of couples A Band AB, all the cylinders of these two sets of printing-couples beingparallel and lying in the same verticalplanes transverse to thecylinders and the cylinders of each set of printing-couples ro-= tatingin the same direction, so that the different couples of each set act toadvance a web in the same direction, and the sets beingarranged so as toperfect simultaneously a plurality of webs running in the same verti-.cal planes or print a single web in multiple impressions withoutreversing the direction of rotation of any of the couples, the lower setof printing-couples being adapted to print on the under side of a webpassing through the couples of this set and the upper set ofprinting-couples on the upper side of a web passing through the couplesof this set, so that the two sets of printing-couples print uponopposite sides of a web led through all the couples unless the web bereversed, while the conducting rolls or guides provide for leading asingle web through all the couples of both sets to the deliverymechanism F, or a plurality of webs may be led through a part of thecouples of each set associated and led to the delivery mechanism. Thuswith the web lead shown in Fig 2 if the web be not run through theweb-reversers G G it will be printed with two impressions on the underside by the couples A B and A B and with twoimpressions on the upperside by the couples C D and C D. While this organization forms a part ofmy invention, I prefer to combine with the web printing and perfectingmechanisms web-controlling devices by which the web may be presented tosome or all of the mechanisms in position to receive the secondimpression on the'same side as the first; In the drawings I'have shownas combined with each of the web printing and'perfecting mechanisms aweb-reverser by which the web may be reversed before the secondimpression, and by this combination of two or more. web printing andperfecting mechanisms of the form shown and two webreversers, either orboth ofwhich may be used, I am able to secure a large variety ofcolor-printed products.

The web-reversers G G may be ofany suitable construction adapted toreverse the web' without transferring, so as to receive the secondimpression on the same side as the first; As shown, these web-turnersare of a common form, consisting of'th'ree bars arranged to reverse theweb without transferring, such a web-reverser being shown and fullydescribed in my Patent No. 212,444, so as to need no further descriptionhere.

The leadof the webs or web is as follows: In perfecting two webs, asshown in Fig. 1, first web a: is led around conducting-rolls 1O 11between the first type and impression cylinders A B, then aroundcylinder B and upward between the second type and impression cylinders CD, whence the perfected web passes to the delivery mechanism F. Thesecond web y passes upwardbetween the first type and impressioncylinders A B of the second web printing and perfecting mechanism, thenaround second impressioncylinder D, and downward between the second typeand impression cylinders C D, whence the perfected web'passes aroundconducting-rolls 12 13 to the delivery mechanism F, where it'isassociated with the first web 00. In printing one side of the web infour colors, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the web as is led to the firsttype and impression cylinders A B, as in perfecting, then about thereverser G, by which it is reversed, then around the conducting-roll14to the second type and impression cylinders C D, where the web receivesa second impression on the same side as the first, then between thecylinders C D, receiving a third impression on the same side, then aboutthe conducting-roll 15 and over the web-reverser G, by which the web isagain reversed, then around the conducting-rolls 16 12 and upwardbetween the type and impression cylinders A B, receiving a fourthimpression on the same side, whence the web printed in four colors onone side passes over the conducting-rolls 17 13 to the delivery F. Inprinting three colors on one side and one on the other or three colorson one side of a perfected web the lead is the same as in printing fourcolors onone side, except that the web is not reversed by the reverserG, but is perfected by the cylinders C D, the result being three colorson the side perfected by the first mechanism. In printing two colors oneach side it is evident that the web 90 is led directly through the twoprinting mechanisms, being perfected once by each mechanism, the leadthrough the second mechanism being downward between cylinders C D,around cylinder D, andupward between cylinders A B, as previouslydescribed, and by omitting one impression from the second mechanism theweb may be printed in two colors on one side and one on the other.

It is evident that one of the web printing and perfecting mechanisms maybe used without the other and with its web-reverser will form a webprinting and perfecting mechanism which may be used to print and perfecta web or to print two colors on the same side of a web, and such aconstruction in itself forms a part of my invention independently of thecombination of two or more such mechanisms.

It is evident that the web-controlling devices mayreadily be located asshown, so as not to interfere with the lead of the web in perfecting,thus enabling the construction to be used for web-perfecting orcolor-printing without other change than the lead of the web; but itwill be understood that this is not absolutely essential and that myinvention may be embodied in a construction in which the web-controllingdevices must be removed or thrown out of position for webperfecting.

In Fig. 4 I have shown my invention as applied in connection with twoweb printing and perfecting mechanisms of the class employing a .singletype and impression cylinder, at the opposite ends of which the webreceives its first and second impressions, the web being reversed andtransferred by a webturner for the perfecting impression. In thisconstruction the type and impression cylinders H I and turner K form thefirst web printing and perfecting mechanism and the corresponding partsH I K the second such mechanism. Between the-two impressioncylinders I Iis located a web-transferrer L, which may be of any suitable form totransfer the web from one end of the cylinders to the other withoutreversing, but is preferably of the common form consisting of twoparallel bars inclined to the path of the web. The lead of the web is asfollows: In

perfecting the first web as is led about the conducting-roll 18, thenbetween the cylinders H I at one end over conducting-roll 19 and theweb-turner K, returning between the opposite ends of the cylinders H I,and thence to the delivery mechanism. The second web y is led around theconductingroll 20 between the type and impression cyl' inders H I at oneend, about the conductingroll 21 and web-turner K, returning between thetype and impression cylinders H I at their opposite ends, then aroundconducting-rolls 22 23 to the delivery mechanism, where it is associatedwith the first web. In printing three colors on one side and one on theother, as shown in Fig. 4, the web as is perfected by the first printingand perfecting mechanism, as just described, then led to the secondmechanism and receives a second impression on the same side as theperfecting impression from the cylinders H I, then passes around thecylinder I and conducting-roll 24 to and over the web-transferrer L, bywhich it is transferred without reversing, returning between theopposite ends of the cylinders H I, over the conductingroll 25,receiving a third impression on the same side, the web thus printed inthree colors on one side and one on the other then passing over theconducting-rolls 22 23 to the delivery mechanism. In printing two colorson one side and two on theother the web as will be perfected by eachprinting mechanism, and the last impression of the second mechanism maybe omitted for two colors on one side and one on the other. In printingfour colors on one side the web a: will be led between the type andimpression cylinders H I at one end, then directly to the type andimpression cylinders H I, receiving a second impression on the same sideat the same end of the cylinders, then over the web-transferrer L and tothe cylinders H I and H I again at the opposite end from the first andsecond impressions, receiving two more impressions on the same side,thence to the delivery mechanism. It is evident that in thisconstruction also one of the printing and perfecting mechanisms may beused without the other one pair of the cylinders with turner K andtransferrer L forming a web printing and perfecting mechanismcapacitated to printv and perfect a web or to .print the same side ofthe web in two colors.

Many other constructions embodying my invention may readily be devisedby those skilled in the art, such constructions being varied inaccordance with the result desired. It will be understood, therefore,that my invention is not limited to any of the special arrangementsshown nor to the specific form of any of the printing and perfectingmechanisms or of the web-controlling devices combined therewith, butthat the form and arrangements of the parts may be varied &

widely without departing from my invention.

What I claim is 1. The combination of two sets of printin couplesarranged one above the other wit their cylinders parallel and lying inthe same vertical planes transverse to the cylinders, theprinting-couples of one set being arranged to print on one side and theprintingcouples of the other set on the opposite side of a web, adelivery mechanism located at one end of the two sets, and means wherebyasingle web may be led through all the couples of both sets to thedelivery mechanism,

or a plurality of Webs may be led through a part of the couples of eachset, associated and led to the delivery mechanism, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination of two sets of printing couples arranged'one abovethe other with their cylinders parallel and lying in the same verticalplanes transverse to the cylinders with the cylinders of each setrotating in the same direction, the printing-couples of one set beingarranged to print on one side-and the printing-couples of the other seton the opposite side of a web, and means whereby a single web may be ledthrough all the cou ples of both sets or a plurality of webs may be ledthrough a part of the couples of each set, substantially as described.

3. The combination of two. sets of printingcouples arranged one abovethe other with their cylinders parallel and lying in the same verticalplanes transverse to the cylinders with the cylinders of each setrotating in the same direction, the printing-couples of one set beingarranged to print on one side and the printing-couples of the other seton the.

opposite side of a web, a delivery mechanism located at one end of thetwo sets, and means whereby a single web may be led through all thecouples of both sets to the delivery mechanism or a plurality of websmay be led through a part of the couples of each set, associated and ledto the delivery mechanism, substantially as described.

4. The combination witha plurality or set of printing-couples with theircylinders rotating in the same direction and adapted to print on theunder side of a web, of a plurality or set of printing-couples arrangedin the same horizontal planes above said first-mentioned couples withtheir cylinders rotating in the same direction and adapted to print onthe upper side of a web led through all the couples, the cylinders ofall the couples being parallel and lying in the same vertical planestransverse to the cylinders, and means whereby a single web may be ledthrough all the couples of both sets or a plurality of webs may be ledthrough a part of the couples of each set and in either case withoutreversing the direction of rotation of any of the couples, substantiallyas described.

5. The combination with a plurality or set of printing-couples withtheir cylinders rotating in the same direction and adapted to print onthe under side of a web, of a plurality of printing-couples arranged inthe same horizontal planes above said first-mentioned couples with theircylinders rotating in the same direction and adapted to print on theupper side of a web led through all the couples, the cylinders of allthe couples being parallel and lying in the same vertical planestransverse to the cylinders, a delivery mechanism located at one end ofthe two sets, and means whereby a single web may be led through all thecouples of both sets to the delivery mechanism, or a plurality of websmay be led through a part of the couples of each set, associated and ledto the delivery mechanism, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a plurality of web printing and perfectingmechanisms capacitated to perfect a plurality of webs simultaneously andarranged to coact in printing a single web in multiple impressions, ofweb-controlling devices arranged to coact therewith so that the singleweb may be presented to one of the web printing and perfectingmechanisms in position to receive the two impressions of said webprinting and perfecting mechanism on the same side of the 9 5 webwithout reversal of the movement of the printing devices; substantiallyas described.

7. The combination with a plurality of web printing and perfectingmechanisms capacitated to perfect a plurality of webs simultaneously andarranged to coact in printing a single web in multiple impressions, ofweb-controlling devices arranged to 'coact therewith so that the singleweb may be presented to each or any of the web printing and perfectingmechanisms in position to receive on the same side of the web the twoimpressions of the web printing and v erfecting mechanism or mechanismsto whic the web is so presented without reversal of the movement of theprinting devices, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a plurality of web printing and perfectingmechanisms arranged to perfect simultaneously a plurality of websrunning in the same vertical planes and arranged for the lead of asingle web to said mechanisms for printing a single web in multipleimpressions without reversal of the printing devices, of web-controllingdevices arranged to coact therewith so that the single web may bepresented to one of the web printing and perfecting mechanisms inposition to receive the two impressions of said web printing andperfecting mechanism on the same side of the web, substantially asdescribed.

9. The combination with a plurality of web printing and perfectingmechanisms arranged to perfect simultaneously a plurality of websrunning in the same vertical planes and arranged for the lead of asingle web to said mechanisms for printing a single web in multipleimpressions Without reversal of the printing devices, of web-controllingdevices arranged to coact therewith so that the single web may bepresented to each or any of the web printing and perfecting mechanismsin position to receive on the same side of the web, the two impressionsofthe Web printing and perfecting mechanism or mechanisms to which theWeb is so presented, substantially as described.

10. The combination of a plurality of web printing and perfectingmechanisms capacitated to perfect simultaneously a plurality of webseach of the full width of the printingcylinders, and means for directinga single web of full width to the respective mechanisms so that thesingle web may be printed with two impressions from each mechanism andwith the two impressions of one or more of said mechanisms on the sameside of the web without reversal of the movement of the printingdevices, substantially as described.

11. The combination with a plurality of web printing and perfectingmechanisms each having two pairs of type and impression cylinders, saidmechanisms being capacitated to perfect a plurality of webssimultaneously or to coact in perfecting a single web in multipleimpressions without reversal of the printing devices, of web-reverserscoacting with each printing and perfecting mechanism, substantially asdescribed.

12. The combination with a Web printing and perfecting mechanism, ofweb-controlling devices coacting therewith to present the full-width webfor a second impression on the same side as the first without reversalof the movement of the printing devices, substan tially as described.

13. The combination with two pairs of type and impression cylindersforming a Web printing and perfecting mechanism, of a webreversercoacting therewith to present the web for another impression on the sameside as the previous one without transferring the web, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

LUTHER C. CROWELL. Witnesses:

J. J. KENNEDY, C. J. SAWYER.

